Long-time Bridgeton figure James S. Hursey dies after long battle with illness

BRIDGETON -- James Samuel Hursey, wearer of many hats in city affairs over the years, died Tuesday from a long-term illness at DePaul Hospital in Norfolk, Va.

His eldest daughter, Joni Hursey-Wingate, said on Thursday that two illnesses may have contributed to his death - COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and Myasthenia gravis, a disease characterized by fatigue and weakening of the muscles.

Hursey served on several city institutions, including 15 years on City Council (part of that time as President), as a member of the Housing Authority, and as Director of Public Safety.

He also served on the county Utilities Authority and in the U.S. Navy.

"He basically taught me about local politics and about being a public servant. That was the most important thing - being a public servant," said Donna Pearson, who served on city council along with Hursey and current state Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher.

"I always called him Mr. Hursey," Pearson recalled, "although he insisted I call him Jim. I just couldn't bring myself to do that."

"Our community was so different then," she continued. "There were so many of us involved then. There was so much of the old guard still there...and he was a part of that."

"He was always involved in the community, always involved in the city."

Pearson went on to become a Freeholder in 1997 and Freeholder Director in 2003. She is now considering a run for city mayor in May.

"He was a wise man," recalled R. Todd Edwards, owner of Edwards & Son Funeral Home and former Board of Education President.

"He brought history to the table. And when he spoke, a lot of people listened," Edwards said.

"He was very instrumental in city politics and a mentor to me...Mr. Hursey was behind the scenes for me when I was on the school board and when I ran for city council," Edwards said.

Hursey's loved ones say his impact reached far beyond the public sphere and well out of the limelight.

His daughter Joni said people would often call him to ask for advise, whether professional or personal, and his wife Joyce understood very well what the calls were about.

Joni said he taught her many things and even inspired her to become a licensed counselor. She now has a private counseling practice in Virginia Beach, Va.

"Actually, my dad was my best friend," she said. "I could talk to him about anything."

"He was very supportive. He had a lot of little philosophical sayings," Joni said. In fact, her husband James often called him "Jimfucious."

Joni remembers some such quips, like, "No matter what you do, there's always going to be a tomorrow" and "Six in one hand, half a dozen in another."

She also said he made many gestures well out of the public eye, like making donations to groups or giving to individuals in tough times.

"If somebody didn't have a Christmas, he'd give them a Christmas," she recalled.
Joni said her father was not a big churchgoer but had deep faith.

"He always said he would rather see a sermon than hear one," she added. "In other words, put your money where your mouth is."

And when Joni faced difficulty in studying to be counselor, "He'd tell me, "Just keep praying and leave it to God.'"

Hursey didn't let his accomplishments or his stature go to his head, Joni insisted.

"He had pride, but he was also very humble. He was not a boastful person," she said.

"He was a public person, very open, but he also enjoyed his private life...Daddy enjoyed sitting on the porch and just listening to his music," she added. Jazz was a particular favorite.

One of Hursey's sisters, Carol Laster Miles, said he would faithfully visit their mother every day and make breakfast for her after he retired.

He was the oldest brother in the family, and dutiful respect to their mother was a given, Laster said.

"Responsibilities were always shared -mother taught us that," she added.

As the family got smaller over the years, traditional family activities that had once been celebrated separately, like Christmas, were combined in one family group, "in our own fashion," Laster said.

Hursey graduated from Bridgeton High School in 1950 and later received a Bachelors of Science degree from Glassboro State College, now Rowan University.

He also earned a degree in education and taught for some time in Shiloh Borough before taking a position with the Bridgeton School Board.

He adds to his family's legacy in the area. Jim Hursey Stadium at Bridgeton High is named after his father, and DeEdwin Hursey Recreation Center on Spruce Street is named after one of his brothers.

Hursey's family had not yet finalized funeral plans as of Thursday afternoon, said Edwards, whose funeral home is handling services.

He said dates and times may be announced at www.edwardsandsonfuneralhome.com, before notice is given in The News.

While Hursey had plenty of his own sayings, he borrowed one from William Shakespeare and repeated it to her at times of heartbreak.

It has different meaning for her now, she said, and it may have special meaning for Bridgeton: "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."